Introduction
With the advancements of technology, society is able to reach more degree-seeking students by offering online higher education. Many students are fulltime parents, husbands, wives and employees working hard to better their lives, and the lives of their family members through higher education. The popularity of online education is further seen in that the 21% growth rate for online enrollments, which far exceeds the 2% growth in the overall higher education student population, with at least 5.6 million students enrolled in online courses in the fall of 2009(Conway k., Hachey A., Waldis C., 2012, para. 1). Due to this new growth in the adult education filed, it is necessary to study and research the specific institutional strategies associated with higher retention rates of online degree seeking students. Retention rates at all institutions are extremely important to follow due to business aspects, positive educational growth in society, political reasons and higher income potential for the students upon completion of their degree (Budden et al. 2010).
Research Question
“Intuitively, students who take a majority of courses online risk being removed from the academic atmosphere and may lack personal interaction with faculty” (Chong Ho Yu Ph.D. 2007, pg. 3). Almost every university or college offers online education to the students. This creates a risk of students feeling less academically integrated with their higher education institution. My research question is, “What specific institutional strategies are associated with higher retention rates of online degree seeking students?” My hypothesis is that students taking online classes, that feel more integrated academically with their university, are more likely to com...
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...gher retention rates for students taking online classes. The literature explores the factors that contribute to higher retention rates, which show academic integration key to the success of students in the virtual learning community. When students utilize the online learning environment they are taking a risk of feeling disconnected from the faculty and university from lack of face-to-face instruction. This has been shown to have a negative impact on retention rates (Chong Ho Yu Ph.D. 2007). Due to media advancements universities can now create strategies to combat this issue as well as other issues that need to be addressed when exploring retention rates. The importance of specific institutional strategies associated with higher retention rates at universities using online learning is imperative to scientifically study for the success of students and universities.
More people are choosing to further their educations, since a larger portion of employers are wanting workers with higher education degrees. Many are questioning whether an online or traditional institution is a better route. While some may say online institutions are essentially better in this day and age, in Johann Neem’s, “Online Higher Education’s Individualist Fallacy” he points out why a traditional college is more often the better route. By implementing an intellectual appeal on an audience that is craving a higher education and looking for the best way to do it, he exceptionally shows that traditional college campuses are not dead in the slightest.
“A human being is not attaining his full heights until he is educated” this anecdote written by Horace Mann, explains the significance education has in today’s society. In order to acquire a career and be successful, individuals need to be educated. Global competition for jobs is very common in today’s century, individuals are not only competing with local people, but also people worldwide. The prerequisites for jobs keep changing through time and the demands for jobs also keep increasing. It is the responsibility of the schools to motivate and retain its students on *the journey of acquiring an education in order to prepare them for future responsibilities. Universities, Community Colleges, along with High Schools are the main source of motivation for students to continue pursuing their career goals and retaining students in school. Furthermore, the importance for an education is immense, it shapes who you are as an individual and can gradually be a door opener to great opportunities in the future. Education is a human right in America, and should be taken advantage of when it is available. Unfortunately, other individuals in different countries are not blessed with this opportunity, due to their financial status, lifestyle, health etc. Therefore, it is very important to maintain the retention rate, which is the amount of students attending College to acquire their education. Although, there are various numbers of reasons that may prohibit retention rates from increasing, which induce the rise on drop out rates and prohibit students from attending school, it is the school’s responsibility to encourage the continuation of acquiring an education. The reason for Skyline College’s retention rate remaining constant is caused by variou...
There has been an abundance of research on how to retain students at the university and/or college level. I collected five articles that examine variables shown to correlate to student retention in secondary institutions. These studies use common factors to determine the significance of whether they are related to college retention. Most colleges and universities focus on recruitment rather than retaining students which also poses its own set of challenges. According to Tinto (1993) over 40% of the first-time college students drop out before the beginning of their second year. Retention is very important for universities and colleges for financial stability. Not only that, as noted by Fike (2008), the federal Higher Education Act may use graduation rates as a measure of institutional effectiveness. Retention is also very important to the students who want to have a positive college experience and who can achieve their goals and become successful members of society.
While the overall trend of online enrollment shows an increase, many students decide to drop-out of their degree programs. According to one study, the student drop-out rate of a sample of students at Kansas State University, reported the drop-out rate at 25%. (Resource number 6). In addition to this study, another studied found that 70% of students enrolled in an online degree program...
Even though more students are choosing distance education, the literature shows that attrition rates are higher in online courses than in face-to-face courses (Angelino, Williams, & Natvig, 2007). Elevated attrition rates can have a negative financial impact on universities. Identifying the reasons students drop or fail courses is critical in determining what services and delivery methods the institution will need to provide in order to ensure successful completion of distant education classes (Nash, 2005). Bringing down the attrition rates is vital to supporting online education since attrition rates are a measurement gauge for government funds and the quality of education (Parker, 2003). There can be many explanations why students drop out of higher education courses, but those explanations may be restricted to students who are signed up for a distance learning program.
The past two decades have seen an almost exponential rise in the availability and popularity of online college classes and degree programs. Their pervasiveness begs the question as to the difference in a credit or degree earned in an online setting versus that of the traditional classroom. These two educational delivery systems will be compared from the perspectives of flexibility, the student experience, the impact of technology, and the issue of acceptability of online classes and degree programs.
al. (2009) states that as more formal education courses are available online, quality and non-completion remain problems. Research shows that active participation online is necessary to a student's success in the online communities. When a student actively participates in discussions, interacts with peers while also interacting with an instructor has a higher rate of success and less likely to drop out of the course. Nagel et. al. (2009) explain that dropout rates for online classes range from “ 20 to 50%, often 10-20% higher than” for equivalent face-to-face course (pg. 38). Reasons like poor connectivity, high cost, personal matters have been reasons for dropouts and low participation in online classes.
There is little doubt that a more extensive on-line education system would benefit extremely overcrowded campuses like Cal State Northridge. Although short-term costs may deter colleges from implementing distance learning programs initially, many colleges could save money in the long run. With the technology available, universities should make more efforts to offer more on-line classes. Distance learning is becoming more and more prevalent across campuses and is likely to continue to grow. In this paper, I will address recent criticism of the distance learning process and present material in support of this increasing phenomenon.
The issue of student persistence and retention has garnered significant attention among institutions of higher education as they look at ways to increase student graduation rates and revenue. Freshman retention rates in the Midwest range from 89% to 55% (US News and World Reports, 2012). UIC’s first year retention rate hovers around 80%, but only about 50% of any cohort actually makes it to graduation (UIC Office of Degree Programs, 2009).
What are the dissimilarities between traditional classes and online classes? Innumerable people might recall this debate in their head. Although traditional education and online education have the same goal, they are still divergent. Traditional education requires the student’s presence in class, unlike the online classes that is defined as an education process between instructors and their students in independent locating. Most of the students choose to sign up for online classes because of its flexibility. The majority considering taking regular classes in universities is more than the one taking online classes for many reasons. The main differences between traditional classes and online classes are interaction between students and instructors, the equipment that are used, the cost, and the flexibility for both instructors and peers.
O'Malley, John, and Harrison McCraw. "Students perceptions of distance learning, online learning and the traditional classroom." Online journal of distance learning administration [Online] 2.4 (1999). Web. 10 Jan. 2014
Orellana, A. (2006). Class Size and Interaction in Online Courses. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 7(3).
The opportunity to obtain a degree through an online setting has provided some liberation to students who then take advantage of that opportunity. The problem, however, lies in employment upon successful completion of an online program. Having an online degree possibly means some bumps down the road of employment, being that the degree could perhaps be ranked lower, as opposed to the traditional degree. Studies show that employers are more prone to hire someone with a traditional degree versus an online degree. In the Chronicle of Online Education, Carnevale states that, “The reviews of individuals who assess qualified candidates for particular positions demonstrate an inclination against online degrees, although these programs are becoming more readily accessible through universities on the web (Carnevale 2007)”. It is clear that even with the qualifications that one may possess from online education, employers still remain inclined. Some employers may feel that the degrees can’t correlate with one another and that one receives a better understanding of the coursework at traditional colleges. In the article, Employer’s Perspective of Online Education, Linardopoulos finds apprehensions regarding employer’s views of online learning. He says, “Online learning does not provide adequate
Many people think online education can be more expensive than a traditional school setting. Previous generations did not have the option for online learning experience, so why should we start now? An interesting point about online education is that LeBaron (2010) states, “The largest school in the U.S. is the University of Phoenix Online, with a whopping 380,232 students. That’s over 5x more than the largest public school, Arizona State University, which has 68,064 students” (para. 7). Despite the cost effectiveness, distance education is becoming the educational model of the future.
In the undergraduate educational setting, student proficiency and comfort with technology are stressed, but the essential mission of most undergraduate institutions (especially, liberal arts institutions such as Dartmouth) is on the development of the individual. The nurturing and supportive environment of most undergraduate institutions helps students mature and develop. The rave and fad of online undergraduate learning causes students to miss out on too many intangibles of an on-campus education. Our current theory on education hasn’t adequately dealt with the intricacies of a web-based education, and therefore the effectiveness of such is highly questionable.